The One Time
by signnamehere
Summary: "I'm never going to be like Finn, Rachel." Puck said softly. Rachel raises her eyes up to his in surprise. She never thought that he'd think that way. She didn't want Finn. She wanted Noah, all of him. T for language


Rachel breathed heavily as she stood in front of her boyfriend's house. It's been six months since they got together after that joke of a relationship they had last year. She didn't know what actually happened but in a sweep of emotions and realizations, she had gone from dating the most popular boy in school to dating the most notorious of them all, and best friend of said most popular boy. Well…ex-bestfriend. The heart wants what it wants, she would tell herself. The relationship would've ended with Finn, anyway. As long as a pair of hazel eyes followed her, she was certain that her relationship with other boys were doomed to fail.

Their relationship began in a whirlwind of blissful nights, heated touches and urgent kisses. But that wasn't what their whole relationship was about. They also learned to be good friends with each other, growing more in touch with each others' good and bad sides. She was happy. But that perception seemed to hit a fork in the road due to an incident a few weeks ago. More like, she saw something that was missing in their relationship.

There was a party at Santana's house that weekend. Though she wasn't hailed the queen bee of the popular crowd, she'd been tolerated by the likes of the cheerios and jocks due to her new status as Puck's girlfriend. Plus, after Regionals last year, Santana suddenly acquired a soft spot for the gleeks, which was why they were all present that night, too.

They walked into the party hand in hand. But after a few minutes of talking with the other glee kids, a guy from Puck's football team called on him. Puck loosened his hand away from Rachel's grasp and told her that he'd be at the other side of the room, mingling with the football team. She nodded simply and took a seat next to Artie and Tina on the couch. Her relationship with the rest of the glee club members had vastly improved. Somehow, Puck had managed to mellow out her uptight, perfectionist, "I'm the star of this show" inclinations down a few notches, which the club greatly appreciated.

The night passed fairly quickly, thanks to her fellow glee clubbers who kept the conversation light and entertaining. She found herself laughing out loud to Artie's jokes. But that didn't make her forget that Puck wasn't with them to share in on the fun. The entire time that they'd been there, she'd steal a glance every now and then and found him making rounds at the party, talking to his "people" and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He didn't look like he was looking for her at all. That's what you get for dating one of the most popular guys in school, she thought.

Then a flash of red caught her eye. There they were Finn and Quinn sharing a small kiss in one corner of the room. On the other corner, Matt had draped his arm over Santana's shoulders tightly as he whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Even beside her she watched discreetly at how Artie would unconsciously reach out for Tina's hand when they talked, like that act was next to breathing. She turned her head to survey the crowd once more and tried to find Puck's face among the crowd. She saw him leaned against the wall and smiling lazily at whatever his jock friends said. Usually, she loved how he smiles, but at that moment she was mildly disappointed that none of his smiles that night were directed at her. Her dampened mood stayed that way for the rest of the night.

He asked her if she was alright on their way back to her house. Puck noticed that she hadn't said a word since they left the party. Shit ain't right.

"It's nothing," she said and her mood lifted when his hand slid into hers between them.

"You sure?" he asked and pulled her to his side. Her eyes were trailed to the floor of his truck but she nodded. Taking his eyes of the road, he looked at her intently, trying to figure out what was wrong with his girl. Nodding downward, he finds her lips and captures it in a kiss.

"Yes," she murmured as he suddenly turned the truck to the side of the street and parked. She savored the feel of his lips, "I'm okay now."

So here she was, at 8 in the morning a few weeks later, in front of her Noah's house. Taking a few hesitant steps, she walked up the porch and rang the doorbell.

"Hey," her boyfriend greeted when he opened the door, not bothering to hide a yawn. He looked delicious, wearing a tattered shirt he only wore at home and a pair of sweat pants that hung low on his waist. His eyes were bleary with sleep. His mom was still at work and his sister was still at a sleepover, which made the house pretty much theirs until lunch time.

"Good morning. I'm sorry to wake you up so suddenly," she started but was cut off when he pulled her from the porch and enveloped her in a hug.

"Shut up for a minute. I need my morning cuddle," he mumbled. Rachel sighed; who knew this man was so affectionate?

"You feel nice…" she whispered and lain her cheek on his shoulder. She hears him moan lowly in response.

"Let's get back to bed, babe." He said in a low whisper, with every intention of getting her to bed…and it's not to sleep.

Rachel groans. Must he be so affectionate when she's trying to be serious?

"Noah, I have to talk to you about something," Rachel said as she pulled away from his embrace, "it's about us." Every part of Puck freezes at her words. This definitely counts as a precedent to a break-up situation.

"Us? Rach, what's there to discuss? We're doing fine. I know that little hiccup about me asking if we could experiment …" Noah started.

"No, it's not that," Rachel squirms, a tinge of red coloring her cheeks.

"Then what is it?" he asked and ran his hands up and down her arms. Rachel sighs and looks up at his hazel eyes.

"Do you love me?"

Pucks face crumples in confusion. Of course he loves her, she has to know he does. She knows that, doesn't she?

"I don't know why you're even asking me this. You should know the answer." Puck replied slowly.

"I'm asking now, so answer it." Rachel demanded and waited for him to speak. When three seconds passed and Puck didn't say a word, the situation turned for the worst.

"You can't even answer it!"

"I just don't understand why you need to ask this question all of a sudden?"

"Because I just do," Rachel snipped, irritated with her boyfriend. "All the other couples in this school have said it at one time or another, why can't you?"

"I just don't do that, Berry. Shit." Puck's pulled her arms away from Rachel's arms and takes a few steps back.

"Wrong answer."

"What the fuck are you even talking about? What is it with you and this 'I love you' shit?

"Girls need proof, Noah. I'm a girl."

"Clearly." Puck snorts

"I need proof that you love me…" her voice drops down to a whisper, "You haven't told me that you do ever since we got together."

Puck raises his eyes to the ceiling, asking for some kind of divine intervention. _Please make this stop,_ Puck begs.

"I thought you knew all along. I mean…I sang to you in front of the whole glee club, I quit football for you…and when I got slushied I took it like a man. Name one guy who would do that for you, Berry. Name. One." Puck said in frustration.

"I…" Rachel could barely speak.

"My reputation is in the crapper right now, did you know that? I mean, it's not completely gone, but Jacob Ben-Israel has the guts to look me in the eye now. Totally un-badass. But I didn't give a shit because I still had you…I thought that was enough, Rach."

Puck turns his head back into Rachel's direction and found her looking like she was about to cry. _Dammit, _Puck though.

"Look…Rachel. Baby. Don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm not really good at this girlfriend thing…I've never had one before."

"I know," she choked out.

"I'm never going to be like Finn, Rachel." Puck said softly. Rachel raises her eyes up to his in surprise. She never thought that he'd think that way. She didn't want Finn. She wanted Noah, all of him.

"Noah…" Rachel started but was cut off.

"I'm going back to bed." Puck said tiredly and turns for the stairs up to his room. This was not how he imagined his morning to go down.

She didn't say anything so he assumed she silently agreed to what he wanted and showed herself out. After a few minutes of lying on his bed, trying to get back to sleep but failing miserably because there was a pain in his chest that was a little too much to ignore, he felt his bed shift and a small body wrap itself around him.

Rachel wound his arm around his waist and settled her hand on his chest, feeling a heartbeat. "I never want you to be like Finn," she whispered with her head cradled at the crook of his neck. "You're more than enough…in fact, I'd say that you're better."

She doesn't hear him speak, so she takes it upon herself to continue.

"Finn wouldn't quit anything for me. Or sing me a song. Or risk his reputation for someone…someone like me."

"But?" Puck finally speaks, urging her to go on. Rachel tries to reel in her smile.

"But you would. And you make me feel special…everything you said downstairs were all true. And I'm sorry I took it all for granted."

Puck finally turns around to face her, with a slight smirk on his face. "You know, this is the first time that you've actually admitted that you were wrong." Rachel rolls her eyes to keep from smiling herself. "I think I'm going to bathe in this moment for a while."

"Noah!"

"Fine, fine, fine. I'm just kidding, babe." Rachel breathes a sigh of relief. He's calling her baby again, so that's good.

They lie there for a few minutes, not speaking. Rachel's in the brink of falling asleep because Puck's fingers were making hypnotic circles on her lower back. It was calming.

"Babe?"

"Hmm?" Rachel moans and opens her eyes to stare into his.

"If it's really important to you, then I'll say it. But just this once, any more and I'm going to have to go for dudes because of my newly grown vagina."

Rachel giggles in response and nods.

"I love you."


End file.
